SRINAGAR: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Tuesday directed all states and Union Territories to initiate a nationwide enforcement drive targeting adulterated milk and milk products, including paneer and khoya, amid growing concerns over public health, according to officials quoted by Times of India.
The directive, issued under Section 16(5) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, empowers FSSAI to take urgent measures in the interest of consumer safety. The move follows intelligence inputs and recent detections suggesting widespread adulteration and misrepresentation of dairy products across multiple regions.
Officials said the special enforcement drive will involve intensive inspections of both licensed and unlicensed dairy units, collection of enforcement samples, verification of food business operator (FBO) registrations, and tracing the sources of adulteration. Strict penalties, including licence cancellations, seizures, product recalls, and closure of illegal units, have been mandated wherever violations are found.
“The drive against adulteration and misbranding of milk, paneer, and khoya comes in the wake of repeated reports of unsafe, illegally manufactured dairy products posing serious public health risks,” officials told Times of India.
FSSAI had undertaken similar drives during September–October this year, coinciding with heightened demand for milk and related products during the festive season. Food Safety Officers have been instructed to test samples according to prescribed procedures and report violations promptly.
States and UTs have also been asked to ensure real-time reporting through the Food Safety Compliance System (FOSCOS), submit fortnightly enforcement updates, and strengthen inter-state coordination to curb the spread of adulterated dairy products, sources told Hindustan Times.
The regulator emphasised that the enforcement drive aims to reinforce consumer confidence, prevent food fraud, and guarantee the availability of safe and genuine milk products nationwide. -(KL)
